PQ12. Conservation—Aotea Conservation Park

12. SIMON O’CONNOR (National—Tāmaki)
to the Minister of Conservation : When will the new Aotea
Conservation Park in Auckland announced on Sunday be
formally gazetted and opened?

Hon Dr NICK SMITH
(Minister of Conservation): I have made the decision to
proceed with the Aotea Conservation Park proposed by local
MP Nikki Kaye last October, but the formal gazettal and
opening has been delayed by the recent storm damage to
tracks and facilities on the island. The decision to proceed
with the new park enables the tracks and facilities to be
rebuilt to the higher standard and to recognise the new
Aotea Conservation Park. This is expected to cost $2.5
million and will be completed over summer. The Department of
Conservation’s intention is to open the new park early
next year.

Simon O'Connor : How does this new park
compare to others in Auckland, and were any changes made
during the process of consultation?

Hon Dr NICK SMITH :
The new park is 12,109 hectares, and it will be the largest
Department of Conservation park in Auckland. It will be
similar in size to the two regional parks in the Hunua and
Waitakere ranges. The significance of this park is that it
is the largest forest that is possum and stoat - free
anywhere in New Zealand. It is particularly rich in trees
like pōhutukawa, kauri, and tree daisy and birds like
kākā and brown teal, and it has the largest population of
black petrel anywhere in New Zealand. There were 2,800
submissions on the proposal. On the basis of representations
from the Auckland Council, I decided to exclude a small area
that it required for a small cemetery.

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